I am on the beach.

The sand feels warm and inviting on my feet.

I love the “swish, swish” of the waves.
The pebbles are tumbled, soft clear white.
The seashells call to me to look at them.

A child is making a sand castle, with a red, metal pale.
Another child is blowing bubbles.
A single bubble floats by me.

I am happy.
I see myself in the bubble, happy, along with this whole beach, sky, and ocean, in that little bubble.
It floats away to carry my happiness beyond me.

One of our favorite summer days was blueberry day.

We’d put on old clothes, our straw hats, then gather our baskets and make our way to the Jones’ Family Farm in Shelton. We’d hitch a ride on the “berry ferry”, and be driven out to the blueberry bushes.

Blueberries are easy to pick and practically popped into our small baskets. When our small baskets were filled, we’d dump them all into the big basket and fill that up. The camera was always on hand.

After the picking, we’d drive to Huntington Center and have lunch and dessert at Sassafras Restaurant.

During my working career, most of the time I worked with people similar to myself: left-brain dominant, detail-oriented technicians, aka "nerds". Most of us took pride in being nerdy.

Every now and again, I came across someone different: a "big picture" guy. You probably know the type - they usually are in management, arrogant as hell in many cases, claiming to be focused on the important stuff, with no time for insignificant matters such as the details that nerds wallow in. Numbers people they are NOT.

Two four year old girls in my nursery school class were the best of friends. When one entered the room, the other would run to give her a big, welcoming hug. They managed to sit side-by-side throughout all activities and held hands when they walked around the room.

These girls were bright, creative and mature beyond their years. Every so often, something of interest would happen at home and they would turn this idea into a little two girl play.

These plays delighted me so much I’d stop what I was supposed to be doing and watch (from afar, of course).

It is popular among many people of my generation (that is, people in their 60's and 70's) to speak of their "spirituality". People like to claim that they are spiritual. I have even been described as spiritual myself, by a handful of my acquaintances, even though I espouse a strictly rational, science-based world view. I can accept this attribution only on the basis of a definition that I read somewhere recently: "religious people do as they are told to do, no matter what is right; spiritual people do what is right, no matter what they are told".

My friend called the other day, and was very frustrated, and disappointed.
He was quite upset about something that was going on in his life,
something he could not control. It was something he actually brought into
his path by not taking actions that he should have taken,
on something that he knew he was supposed to take.

He ignored the situation and just went on to continue to move forward,
and then there were consequences to the decisions he chose to do.
And he didn’t like the outcome and had to wait to hear what the final outcome would be.

I am so happy
When I watch a video or read
a story
Of animals being rescued
My heart is stretched
As my eyes fill with tears
But I am in awe of how
Others step in to help
As they figure out a way
To lend a hand with these wonderful animals
That are here a part of creation
I thank the volunteers
Who take their time
Those who give funding
The generosity of others
Who don’t turn away but
Move towards being part of the solution
If only all will find it in our hearts
To not abandon but
to reach out

Sometimes the earth seems more beautiful than ever, like when the sun lights up the fall leaves, from behind – the leaves literally glow.

The light is always changing, so that what five minutes ago was a dark, drab patch, is now sparkling with bright leaves that decide to shine.

When the light is just right, any scene becomes lit like a theater stage.

I just have to be still outside, and beauty comes to me – or perhaps I tune in. A squirrel comes by, or a chipmunk, or a hawk.

I am out driving to go to an appointment
And they changed the time
I had to go a little early
As I am driving down this country road
That I go down all the time
The beginning of December
I don’t know the exact date because I am not looking at a calendar
But low and behold in this field on the snow covered ground
In Bridgewater CT
Is this big huge black bear just hanging out in a field
I was just flabbergasted
I heard of these siting’s and people seeing them
I had to pull over in awe of this magnificent animal

You’re walking along the ocean shore in Truro, Massachusetts, and Cape Cod. You feel all alone in the world right now.

You went for a walk, to kind of gather yourself, but still, you feel alone.

The area in Truro is distant from the parking lots, so very few people ever venture out that far.

So you see no sun bathers. All you see are a few seagulls.

But basically you’re alone. Or are you?